Five How We Met Stories

Below are five "how we met" stories contributed by good friend and writer Terrence Moss. In true reporting fashion, Terrence interviewed these couples and wrote up their very sweet tales of romance. Terrence often had to overcome the reluctance of his subjects and convince the couples that they really had a story worth sharing. As he says about himself,
 "Some of the simplest of stories have the sweetest moments. And I’m a moments guy."

For more work by Terrence Moss check out
 https://sites.google.com/site/theterrencemossenterprise 

Doug and Mike

Doug and Mike met on gay dot com. It was an “almost didn’t happen” situation because if Mike had used his previous profile picture of him during Halloween in his pimp costume, then Doug wouldn’t have bothered to private message him in the first place – despite the fact that he had already passed the “cute” test.

From Mike’s vantage point, Doug’s picture wasn’t particularly cute as it made him look like he had a growth coming out of his neck. Nevertheless, Mike was a nice guy and responded.

Love at 30,000 Feet

Love blossoms in the most unusual circumstances...
It was a Thursday evening. Ashley was flying to New York and meeting up with friends to attend a concert. Matt was among a group of travelers sitting in the row in front of Ashley; she could hear him singing lyrics from the band’s songs. Ashley started up a conversation with Matt just as they arrived in NY, and then the two went their separate ways.

Abram and Racine

Abram and Racine met in August of 2005. They both worked for the same company, but on different coasts. He was living in Los Angeles and she was living in New York. Abram was being sent to New York to provide Pivot Table Excel training to the media buyers in that office. For Abram, this also constituted a free trip to get together with the girl he dated in college. For Racine, this simply meant finally meeting the guy she’d spoken to on the phone so many times.

No Fancy Car

In March of 2002, Merkus’s sister Karah from called to tell him about a work friend of hers named Stacie. She was a college-educated, independent professional, while

he was a long-haired college dropout, the lead singer of an obscure band

 According to Karah, however, they had a lot in common…interest in Tom’s of Maine products, Crystal Deodorant and yoga. Hmm.

At the time, Merkus was living in Los Angeles and working in a series of bad jobs. His band was doing great, but no one gave a shit (and, in his words, they still don’t). Karah asked him if he’d be interested in meeting Stacie.

“Is she hot?” Merkus asked.

Standing the Test of Time ( and Distance)

When I entered University, I was approached to take part in the science pageant. I agreed and Jeff was my partner during the event. We got to know each other better during the rehearsals and both of us stayed in the east part of Singapore. After our late rehearsals, he would give me a lift back home and we would spend time chatting and getting to know each other better. Over time, we were almost inseparable. During one of our outings with the rest of the contestants, Jeff asked me to be his girlfriend and I agreed. There were both sweet moments as well as times when we disagree. Often, we would find ourselves tearing our hair our trying to meet each others expectations and demands. After each bicker and squabble, we would strive harder to stay together and work things out. Then came the test of time. He was to go to Slough, London for a year and half. Spending time apart was not easy. We thought that this might be our end like so many other couples,but we stuck together. Despite his daytime being my sleeping time, we would catch up during the weekends using Skype and MSN chat. During my holidays, I visited him and we spent time touring countries like Switzerland and Austria. During our trip to Vienna, it began pouring in the evening. We quickly sought shelter in a nearby church. Just as I turned around to see if Jeff was right behind me, I saw him kneel down on one knee. He proposed with a ring he had bought in London. It was beautiful, and I said "Yes"!
 After he came back from London, he was again posted abroad. I waited for him and we finally got hitched in 2011. We just celebrated our first year anniversary and I must say, even though it's not always easy being together, much less staying together, what we have is well worth the effort.

That First Kiss

He was playing the guitar at the church with the Christian Youth Group. He was 16 and I think I don’t have to clarify that at that point he was really not interested in the 9 year old girl that I was. He looked like an angel to me, with his long blond hair (When I look at some old pictures now, he looked more like the “Hanson” brothers…). I didn't know his name or who he was, but I knew he felt like someone special to me.

Years passed by, I was 17, he was 24. I was in the Christian Youth Group too. He wasn't anymore, because he was now working a few hours away. I hung out with his friends and brothers, they were all talking about him, but I didn't know who they were talking about, until I saw some pictures and made the link (not with the Hanson, but with the angel).

And then, one day he stopped by to say hello at our local room. His name was Matthieu. I fell in love.

At one of my best friend’s birthday garden party, sitting at the table, I asked him if I could extend my legs and thus put them on his (can you imagine how it feels like for a teenage girl? My legs were touching his legs!! I still can remember those insignificant moments because they were, at that time, very decisive). At the end of the party, he drove me back home. I was so proud leaving the party with him!

During the summer, we met a few times at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, not far from our home towns. One night, he managed to get free tickets for a concert and my phone number. He wanted to ask me to go with him. I unfortunately didn't hear my phone and I missed it. I was devastated on the next day, devastated like if I was never going to have another possibility to spend time with him (but, he now had my number!!).

After our meetings with the group, we used to have a drink in a local pub or in the city. And sometimes Mat joined us a little bit later. Suddenly, he was always coming with us. I was so happy. We talked and laughed together a lot. Some people were already joking that he was only coming because of me. They were saying: “Let’s call your pilot to tell him we’re going out tonight” Blush!!

He had a car and he was often driving me back home. Once, he brought me back a little late, maybe 30 minutes later than my parents were expecting me. My mother was very angry at us. I was so ashamed. I thought he would never talk to me again. Fortunately, that didn't happen. He even called me and asked if I'd like to do some ice skating. “Oh yes yes yes yes yes yes!!!!!!!”

We went ice skating together on the 12^th of December, our first date. We skated around the rink about an hour. At the end, he took me in his arms and… that’s it. He just took me in his arms (why didn't he kiss me?!?!). While walking away of the rink, I put my ice skates in the opposite hand of him, just in case he would take my hand (but he didn't). On Monday, at school, I just wanted to scream my love out and tell everybody what happened, but I couldn't, because I was sitting just next his littlest brother and I didn’t know if he knew or suspected something.

The next weekend, on the 19^th of December 2004, he invited me for a walk through the Christmas Market of Montreux. This was our second date. There, he took my hand.

 There were so many people at the market. When we met a couple of friends of him and the boys were getting some drinks for us, the girl asked me how long we were together and I answered: “Oh, but we are not together!” When Mat came back at the table with some warm tea, he took my hands and played with them. She must have been very confused!! And I was in pure happiness.

At the end of that Christmas-Market-date, he kissed me. WooHoo!!! HE KISSED ME!!!!!! I was totally out of my body, high in the sky, flying with butterflies!! Intense moment of perfection!

This place, just under the stairs going to the station, has been very important for us each year since then. We use to go there every year on the 19^th of December and we kiss again. 7 years later, on the 19^th of December 2011, he asked me to be his wife, by the lake, a few meters from where we first kissed. We’re going to marry on the 22^nd of June 2013.

He’s my angel. He’s why my life is beautiful, the one that cries when I cry and laughs when I laugh. He’s the one I’m going to marry.

PS: He cut his hair…

My wedding preparation blog: http://thecupcakewedding.wordpress.com/